Recipe of the Week - Avocado and Cucumber Soup

This green, chilled soup is an excellent way to keep your blood alkaline (assists in cancer prevention), take in highfiber as well as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and healthy fats. The taste is surprisingly good. This is an excellent staple in any household. Feel free to add various greens from your fridge.
Thanks to Chef Marni Wasserman for the great recipe.

Ingredients:

English cucumber - peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
2 large ripe avocadoes
2 green onions, roughly chopped
2 apples (crisp and tart apples like Granny Smith or Spartan)
2 ½ cups coconut milk
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Parsley or cilantro for garnish In a blender, process all ingredients until smooth.
Chill until ready to serve and garnish with fresh herbs.

Don't forget to contact us for more information on Live In Motion in Mexico!  Anyone can come along.  Email us at - info@liveinmotion.ca or visit us at - www.liveinmotion.ca

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Note from Jason and Lisa

As we approach March it is time to review progress on your fitness and
health goals for 2011. Be honest with yourself and ask the following question "Is my current fitness and health regime working?" If the answer is no then you are not alone. Perhaps you have joined a health club but find yourself unable to make any significant physical changes. The majority of individuals who join a fitness club with great intentions do not succeed. Why not? The list is endless - lack of motivation and commitment, inconsistent and unproductive workouts, poor dietary habits and just plain lack of education on how to integrate fitness into your current lifestyle.
Check out these 2008 statistics on the health club industry in Canada;

• Total Industry Revenue $1,890,000,000.00(USD)
• Total Number of Health Clubs 5047
• Total Number of Members 4,635,000 (Source: Fitness Industry Council of Canada)

Despite these staggering numbers, Canadians are getting heavier, sicker, weaker and more depressed. Fitness clubs are a great resource but they are not for everyone!"

Consider hiring a professional trainer that will;

• work one-on-one with you
• design and advance your exercise programs
• have your best interest at heart
• assist in lifestyle and nutrition changes
• motivate and push you to succeed at your goals
• help bring out your w
• work ethic and enthusiasm

We have consistently recommended fish oils as one of the "must take" supplements for optimal health. Here is quick article from the highly respected Dr. Joseph Mercola on the benefits of fish oil.

------ Fish Oil ------

Unfortunately, I can't recommend fish because it is overwhelmingly contaminated with mercury and dangerous PCBs. What I can recommend, however--and I can't recommend it highly enough--is fish oil. Packed with beneficial omega-3 fats including DHA, fish oil:

• Helps fight and prevent heart disease, cancer, depression, Alzheimer's, arthritis, diabetes, ulcers, hyperactivity and many other diseases 
• Increases your energy level and ability to concentrate
  Provides greater resistance to common illnesses such as flu and cold
• Helps pregnant women avoid premature births, low birth weight and other complications

When using fish oil or krill oil it is important to obtain a high-quality reputable brand. In my research--and in my clinical experience with my patients--I have found that:

• The liquid form is superior to capsules 
• Certain brands definitely seem inferior to others 
• Those who live in more tropical environments with regular exposure to more intense sun will most likely be fine taking fish oil year round, as your vitamin D intake from the sun will be sufficient. If you aren't sure of what you should take, please have your vitamin D levels tested as it is possible to overdose on vitamin D.

Recipe of the Week - Peanut Butter Protein Bars

Ok, the cat is out of the bag. Here is one of our most requested recipes. This is a quick and simple recipe to provide a tasty protein bar. These bars are great for travelling and the perfect side to a herbal tea.

Ingredients:
2 cups natural peanut butter
6-8 Tbsp of honey
1 - 1.5 cups protein powder (vanilla or chocolate)
2 cups dry oatmeal (you can grind the oats to alter the texture of the bars)
2 Tbsp coconut oil

Optional - add vanilla, nutmeg or cinnamon to taste

1) Heat peanut butter, honey and coconut oil on low on the stovetop. Stir continuously to avoid burning. Slowly stir in protein powder and oatmeal. Mixture will become very thick.
2) Transfer mixture into a 13 x 9 baking pan. Flatten mixture into bottom of pan.
3) Let sit 10-15 minutes.
4) Cut into bars and store in fridge.

The 6 Worst Brands of Bottled Water You Can Buy

There is a video for this article that we encourage you to take some time to listen to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se12y9hSOM0

The Environmental Working Group analyzed the company websites and product labels of over 170 varieties of bottled water to see if the companies disclosed information on where water came from, how the water was treated, and whether the results of tests to ensure purity were revealed.
The researchers also called the bottled water companies to see if they would willingly give information to consumers.
More than half of the bottled water products failed the transparency test. Almost 20 percent didn't say where their water comes from, and an additional 32 percent did not disclose any information on treatment or purity of water.
According to Yahoo Green:

"Only three brands earned the highest possible ... Gerber Pure Purified Water, Nestle Pure Life Purified Water, and Penta Ultra-Purified Water ...
[S]ix brands got the worst marks in EWG's report ... Whole Foods Italian Still Mineral Water, Vintage Natural Spring Water, Sahara Premium Drinking Water, O Water Sport Electrolyte Enhanced Purified Drinking Water, Market Basket Natural Spring Water, and Cumby's Spring Water."

Sources:

  Yahoo Green January 5, 2011

  Environmental Working Group Report January 2011

 

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Again, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) steps up to the plate and delivers the actual facts about what's going on.
When you pay up to 1,900 times more for something, you expect it to be worth it, but when it comes to bottled water most of the benefits are pure fantasy. What's worse, most bottled water companies hide the truth about their product in order to keep this profitable scheme going.

Majority of Companies Refuse to Divulge What's Really in Their Bottles

The EWG set out to find the answers to three simple, basic questions about bottled water that consumers have a right to know:

• Where does the water come from?
• Is it purified, and if so, how?
• Is the water tested, and what, if any, contaminants have been found?

Interestingly, many bottled water companies will not supply you with the answers to these questions. According to the EWG, nine out of the top ten best-selling brands fail to provide answers to all three. Only one of the 173 bottled water products surveyed—Nestlé's Pure Life Purified Water—discloses this information right on the label, and provides information for requesting a water quality test report.
In all, only three bottled water products received a good rating for transparency from the EWG:

1. Nestlé's Pure Life Purified Water
2. Gerber Pure Purified Water
3. Penta Ultra-Purified Water

For the least transparent of the bunch, please see the EWG report. All in all, 18 percent of bottled waters do not tell you where their water comes from, and 32 percent do not disclose anything about the treatment or the purity of the water.
Why is this?
Could it be because the truth doesn't justify the exorbitant price tag? After all, why would anyone knowingly pay a premium for something that is in many cases indistinguishable from regular tap water!

Bottled Water is No Guarantee of Purity

Yes, about 40 percent of bottled water IS regular tap water, which may or may not have received any additional treatment. In fact, most municipal tap water must adhere to stricter purity standards than the bottled water industry. The EPA requires large public water suppliers to test for contaminants as often as several times a day, but the FDA requires private bottlers to test for contaminants only once a week, once a year, or once every four years, depending on the contaminant.
Another independent test performed by the Environmental Working Group in 2009 revealed 38 low-level contaminants in bottled water, with each of the 10 tested brands containing an average of eight chemicals, including:

• Disinfection byproducts (DBPs)
• Caffeine
• Tylenol
• Nitrate
• Industrial chemicals
• Arsenic
• Bacteria

Another health hazard that can be found in both tap- and bottled water is fluoride. Many make the mistake of thinking bottled water is un-flouridated, but that's not the case at all. Some bottled waters even make a point of adding fluoride, so the only way to ensure the water you're drinking is fluoride-free is to have access to the water quality test results. However, bottled water has yet another significant drawback.
Aside from the fact that many of them are little more than tap water of questionable purity (since most companies refuse to provide the necessary information to determine water quality), the bottle itself is extremely detrimental to the environment, and can further contaminate the water inside it.

Drinking from Plastic Bottles Poses Health Risks

The plastic often used to make water bottles contains a variety of health-harming chemicals that can easily leach out and contaminate the water, such as:

• Cancer-causing PFOAs
• PBDEs (flame retardant chemicals), which have been linked to reproductive problems and altered thyroid levels
• The reproductive toxins, phthalates
• BPA, which disrupts the endocrine system by mimicking the female hormone estrogen

If you leave your water bottle in a hot car, or reuse it, your exposure is magnified because heat and stress increase the amount of chemicals that leach out of the plastic. So the container your water comes in needs to receive just as much attention as the water itself, and plastic is simply not a wise choice from a health perspective … not to mention the extreme amounts of toxic waste produced!

Ditched Water Bottles are Destroying the Environment

Bottled water is perhaps one of the most environmentally unfriendly industries there is. Americans consume about half a billion bottles of water every week! The environmental ramifications of this practice are enormous. The video below, The Story of Bottled Water, brought to you by the folks who created the wildly successful video The Story of Stuff, does an excellent job of illustrating the truth about bottled water.
First of all, the bottle manufacturing process itself releases toxic compounds like nickel, ethylbenzene, ethylene oxide and benzene, and the amount of oil used to make plastic water bottles could fuel a million cars annually.
Then you have the transportation of these bottles, back and forth across the globe. A lot of miles have been covered by the time you pick up that bottle from the store shelf and haul it back to your house. But their travels don't end there. As explained in the video above, many of our non-recycled water bottles are AGAIN shipped overseas to be dumped as waste in less affluent nations…
According to the most recent report by The Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers, only 28 percent of water bottles are currently recycled in the US. What happens to the rest of them?
They end up in:

1. Landfills, where they can remain for thousands of years, leaching toxins into the ground
2. Incinerators, where the chemicals are released into the air
3. Oceans, where they slowly disintegrate into tiny particles, turning portions of our waters into a plastic stew. In this way plastic also enters the food chain, and kills wildlife

Why Pay 1,900 Times More for... Nothing?

In light of the fact that you really don't get anything "more" for your money when you splurge on bottled water, why would you continue buying it?
The bottled water industry vehemently denies the claims that they've "manufactured demand," stating they're simply giving consumers what they want. But honestly, unless people were convinced that tap water was unfit to drink and that bottled water was pure, that consumer demand would surely vanish. The Environmental Working Group ends their report with the recommendation to drink filtered tap water.
I agree.
The caveat though is to make sure you filter your tap water. I've written a large number of articles on the hazards of tap water, from fluoride to dangerous chemicals and drugs, to toxic disinfection byproducts and heavy metals, so having a good filtration system in place is more of a necessity than a luxury in most areas. Another option to consider is to bottle your own water from a gravity-fed spring.
There's a great website called FindaSpring.com where you can find natural springs in your area. This is a great way to get back to nature and teach your children about health and the sources of clean water. The best part is that most of these spring water sources are free!
Remember to bring either clear polyethylene or glass containers to collect the water so no unsafe chemicals can contaminate your water on the way home. If you choose to use glass bottles, be sure to wrap them in towels to keep them from breaking in the car.

Your Best Water Filtration Options

A whole house water filter is your best bet, as it will remove harsh chlorine byproducts from your whole house. These toxins pose a health hazard not only in your drinking water, but also in your shower and appliances.
The best option for your home's drinking water is to filter at the point of use with an NSF certified water filter. This addresses all of the chemicals found in well water or an urban water supply, along with any lead that might leach into the water if you have old plumbing.
Ideally, you'll want to consider both a whole house filter and a point of use filter on your kitchen tap. This covers all the bases for protecting your appliances from harsh chlorine and chlorine byproducts, protecting your lungs from airborne water contaminants that come from the shower, and protecting your tap water from all contaminants that both arrive at your house and are added by your own plumbing.
Unfortunately, adding both of these filters may be cost prohibitive for some families. In that case, you may actually want to consider limiting the duration of your shower, as a seven-minute hot shower will expose your body (through your lungs and skin absorption) to more toxins than drinking a gallon of unfiltered tap water!
That said, ensuring a safe, pure, supply of drinking water for your family should be at the very top of your list.

Source - http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/01/21/best-and-worst-bottled-water-brands.aspx

SuperFood Fudge

Everyone raves about this recipe. It is a nutrient dense version of chocolate peanut butter fudge. It is full of healthy fats, anti-oxidants and protein. It has no refined sugar yet will help kill sugar cravings. It is quick to make and excellent to take with you. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

•  1 can of coconut milk (full fat version)
•  1 bar of unsweetened chocolate (try to find 100% cacao but 70-80% will do the trick)
•  1-1 1/2 cups of natural peanut butter (to taste)
•  ½ cup chopped raw almonds (optional)
•  ½ cup chopped raw pecans (optional)
•  2 scoops vanilla or chocolate protein powder
•  4 tablespoons oat bran
•  2 tablespoons ground flax (optional)
•  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  a small amount of natural honey or maple syrup can be added for sweetness. Use only a little to keep sugar content low 

Directions:

1) Pour coconut milk and vanilla extract into a saucepan over VERY LOW heat. Break chocolate into chunks and add to mixture. Add peanut butter and stir continuously until mixture is a smooth consistency.
2) Add protein powder, oat bran, nuts and ground flax and continue stirring until smooth. If mixture becomes too dry add small amount of coconut milk.
3) Pour into a glass dish lined with wax paper and transfer into fridge. Allow to cool until solid (3-4 hours) and cut into small squares.

Enjoy!!  Leave us your comments on what you thought of the recipe!
Thanks,
Live In Motion Team
www.liveinmotion.ca

Boot Camp/Yoga Retreat Vacation

Live In Motion is going to Mexico this fall. Spend 1 week in Puerto Vallarta with Live In Motion! We are putting together a Boot Camp and Yoga retreat and we would love if you join us!  Your vacation would include the following:

• Outdoor Yoga Sessions
• Boot Camp
• Exercise body part blasts
• Guided peaceful morning walks on the beach
• Fabulous accommodations
• Meals
• 2 relaxing spa treatments of your choice
• 2 special adventures to choose from
• Plus one fantastic gourmet meal prepared live by a professional chef

For more information on this fantastic getaway visit our website www.liveinmotion.ca